The Talent of Stella Human
by Donna Z
Summary: Ok, a wrote this for an english paper once and decided to post it. It's about a girl with the talent of phasing between books and a quest that ivolves the cast of Romeo + Juliet. READ/REVIEW!!!!!


Inside of a story  
  
Stella, having successfully completed the Challenges, stepped up to the humongous door of the Medieval-looking castle. She hit the knocker against the door three times. It magically opened and she stepped into the castle.   
  
Stella dreaded the long haul ahead. Nobody came to the Good Magician unless they had a real problem. He gave all who entered a chance to ask him a question, which he answered. Then he gave them a huge price- one years' Service. Stella dreaded the Service, but she did have a definite problem. Every citizen of the magical land Xanth had his or her own, individual talent. Nobody was left without a talent, and no two talents were exactly alike. Stella's talent, however, had not made itself apparent, so she had gone to the Good Magician to find out what her Talent was.   
  
She stepped into a huge hall lined with coats of armor. She walked down into a study.   
  
There was the Good Magician, poring over a huge tome. The shelves of the study were lined with piles and piles of books. The Good Magician looked up at her. He looked vaguely like a gnome. In a grumpy tone of voice, he muttered, "What's your Question, querent?"  
  
She summed up all of her courage and spoke. "What is my magic talent?"  
  
The Good Magician sighed, but he looked like he was almost smiling. "You can travel into, between, and out of books."  
  
Oh. She had been hoping for a Sorceress-level talent, like her sister Vena, who could transform any inanimate objects into any other inanimate objects. So she sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better be going then." She made a beeline for the door.  
  
"Not so fast, Stella. You have a service for me, remember?"  
  
How did he know her name? "Yes. What would you like me to do for the next year?"  
  
He smiled. "Oh no. I have a much more specialized job for you. You are to go into the story Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and change the ending so that the main characters don't kill themselves."  
  
"Why should I do that? It will destroy a perfectly good, well written play!"  
  
"JUST DO IT, IMPERTINENT GIRL!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Fine. But, I am the one on the mission. I don't need to succeed, you know, and maybe I won't if you don't tell me why I should change my favorite book."  
  
The Good Magician sighed at her impertinence, but she thought she could see a hint of a smile on his face. "Romeo and Juliet will become citizens of Xanth if they live. They will run away together here, where they will change our history and make us not enter the Dark Age we shall go into very soon. But you cannot simply make foolish errors and phase back into past parts of the book, for then you might meet yourself or at least have several selves in the same story at one time. I am sure you will be very careful about success in this mission. Besides, you will want to do this correctly, for if you succeed you will have your heart's desire."  
  
Stella gaped. That put a lot of pressure on her shoulders! But she gulped. "Okay, I'll try." She shut her eyes and imagined herself going into Romeo and Juliet. The room spun around her and she felt dizzy, as if the earth was going through its rotations at one hundred times normal speed. She opened her eyes and felt so unsteady that she rested her hand on the tree right next to her.  
  
Wait. A tree? How was there a tree in the good Magician's study? She looked around. It was night, and the full moon was shining above her head. She looked at her dress and gaped in shock. It had changed to the kind of dress one might see in an antique store! She was in medieval clothing!  
  
Oh well, she would fit in. She looked up at the stone mansion in front of her. It had a small, circular balcony jutting out from the otherwise sheer walls.  
  
She heard a rustling in the bushes. She flattened herself out behind a tree and hoped the intruder or guard wouldn't see her.   
  
A man walked by. He was stunningly handsome. He didn't see her, which was good. She could not afford to change the story she was in until she knew what was going on in the plot. What if she changed the story so Romeo and Juliet didn't fall in love? Oh, horrors!  
  
The man began to speak, in what sounded like iambic pentameter. " He jests at scars that never felt a wound."  
  
A woman stepped up to the balcony. The man spoke again. "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun." He continued on about love and beauty.  
  
Stella smiled. Now she knew where she was! This was the part of the story where Romeo and Juliet realized that they loved each other. Carefully, so as to not alert anyone of her presence, she stepped out of the garden and onto the street.   
  
Another handsome man greeted her. "Fair lady, is it a carriage you seek?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes."  
  
A carriage pulled up and she stepped in. "Thank you," she said to the man.   
  
The carriage driver looked at the man. "Ah, is it not Sir Mercutio, kinsman of the Prince?"  
  
Mercutio smiled. "It is."   
  
Stella felt a little sad. This nice man would soon be slain by Tybalt! Was there nothing she could do to help him? Well, not now, in any rate. She leaned forward to the driver and said, " The friar's cell."  
  
"Which friar, Lady?"  
  
Stella racked her brain. She answered, "Friar Lawrence, please."  
  
"As you wish." He cracked a whip and the carriage moved down the path. Soon enough, she arrived at the cell.  
  
The friar stepped out. "And who would you be, Lady?"  
  
She smiled. "Lady Stella. I have . . . important information for you. Please, may I enter?"  
  
He looked a little confused but very bemused. "Yes, Lady Stella."  
  
They stepped in. She sat down and explained. "Friar, I, well, I. . . I can, um, well," she didn't want to come out and say who she was, that would just confuse the man. So she smiled. "Friar, I just know that you are a God-loving man. I'm on a mission to, um, start a poison control committee!"  
  
He looked at her blankly. "What?"  
  
Oh no. That was probably the worst thing she could have said! "Uh, we want you to pour all of your poisons into a well and get rid of them. If anyone comes asking for a poison, please give them water or some harmless sleep potion. Is that ok?"  
  
"Ok? I do not understand your language, Lady, but I understand your intent. I will do so, but why?   
  
"Please, it will become apparent. Just do as I say."  
  
"As you wish, Lady." The Friar then smiled at her. "Sit down, please, and tell me where you have come from."  
  
Stella sighed heavily. She should have known that a normal twenty-year-old girl from Xanth could not function in a mundane book! Stella's mother's talent was conjuring books from Mundania, so Stella's house was a veritable library. Apparently she had not studied the language patterns of medieval Mundania very well. She began to tell her story. "I am a maiden from another land, Friar. Our land... our land will go into a dark age unless Romeo and Juliet, um, emigrate there."  
  
"Romeo of the house of Montague and Juliet of the house of Capulet? This is mischief indeed! I did not know that they associated with each other."  
  
Stella sighed. "Yes. I just attended a Party at the manor. They appeared quite taken with each other."  
  
The friar nodded. "So you wish me to tell them to travel to your land. Why not just tell me that from the outset? Why go on about poison control?"  
  
She was stuck for it. "Two people will come for potions in the next two days - Juliet, for a potion that will make her appear to be dead but really only be sleeping, and Romeo for a vial of poison. These will be the instruments of their untimely demises. Please, please don't let them die!"  
  
The friar looked a bit awestruck. "You can tell the future?"  
  
"Um...sort of, I guess."  
  
The friar nodded. "You seem to understand the situation very well. Therefore, when Romeo and Juliet come to me, I shall simply defer them to you."  
  
"When they come to you they're going to want to get married. Will you marry them?"  
  
"Ah, the impetuosity of the young! Yes, I will. Meanwhile, Lady, you need suitable lodging. I will arrange for you to stay with another good family for the duration of your visit."  
  
"You are too kind," she murmured.  
  
"Ah! You shall stay with the Prince and his kinsman Mercutio! Surely this will be the best place for the star-cross'd lovers to meet you."  
  
She nodded. So much had happened, in a few hours! She said to the Friar, "Guide me to the manor, please."  
  
"No need. There is a young man here who will be more than willing. He should arrive shortly."  
  
"Can you tell the future?"  
  
"No, he has an appointment."  
  
Just so. A man stepped through the door, Stella recognized him as Mercutio, whom she had seen before outside the Capulet house. They bowed to each other and, still gazing at Stella intently, he asked the friar over his shoulder, "Friar, do you have that potion I requested yestereve?"  
  
The Friar put it in his hand. "Yes, here is the poison you have proclaimed to wish for against my better judgment."  
  
Mercutio laughed. "Is there naught I can do in return?" It was obvious he did not expect the friar to ask a favor.  
  
"Please take Lady Stella back to your home and give her suitable lodging for this evening and mayhap a few more to come."  
  
"Why, that is not a favor, dear Friar," said Mercutio. "That is a pleasure." He bent down to kiss her hand. She blushed.  
  
"Get on with you," said the Friar, and for a split second he reminded her forcefully of the Good Magician.  
  
So Mercutio led Stella out of the cell by her hand, into a carriage. He smiled at her handsomely. "What brings you to Verona, Lady? Though it be just a whim, I suspect you are not of this city."  
  
She smiled back at him. "Indeed I am not. I am from..." she paused. "I am from far away, and I am here to help Romeo of Montague and his lady."  
  
He whistled. "Rosaline? Yes, after her he does seek. Yet she is coy and waits for the nunnery."  
  
She smiled. "Oh, I didn't mean Lady Rosaline! I speak not of she, but of Juliet."  
  
Mercutio froze. "Juliet, of the house of Capulet? Dost she love Romeo?"  
  
Stella sighed heavily. "Aye, and he her. 'Tis folly indeed." She was picking up these speech mannerisms pretty quickly!  
  
Mercutio frowned. "Folly is too small a word for it, milady. You are too delicate to tread on such serious matters."  
  
Stella smiled. " You flatter me, sir."  
  
In silence they rode back to the manor.  
  
*****  
  
Once at the manor, Mercutio led Stella to her room. "Good night, milady," he said formally. Then he turned and left.   
  
Stella sighed. One could really get to like a man like him! But she had other matters to attend to. Her talent afforded that she could phase into books. She assumed she could phase into any place, so she simply phased back to the house of Capulet. Lovely Juliet was sitting in her room, brushing her hair and smiling. Stella spoke softly. "Milady, may I have a word with you?"  
  
Juliet drew back, plainly afraid. "What is it you wish with me, foul spirit? Thou hast appeared in my room out of naught but air! What dost thou want?"  
  
Stella sighed. She was not going about this the right way! "Juliet, I am a friend from another land. I can help you and Romeo achieve a life of happiness together, if you trust me."  
  
Juliet looked defiant. She had luxurious red hair that fell about her shoulders like liquid fire and clear green eyes, like emeralds. She stared Stella down. "Foul spirit, Romeo and I shall be married to each other in the morning. We shall rightly achieve our life of happiness this way."  
  
Stella shook her head sadly and said, "How I wish that were true! But, Lady Juliet, were this tome to continue on its current course, Romeo and thee will die two days hence. Please listen!"  
  
Juliet looked shocked into silence, so Stella continued. "I live in another land, as I said. If you come back with me, you and Romeo will live your lives together, uh, blissfully. Please, Juliet!"  
  
"If I am in trouble, I shall come to thee," Juliet conceded. Stella noted that she did not look overwhelmingly thrilled with the news of her upcoming death. So she nodded and whispered, "Trust me!" Juliet nodded as well, and Stella phased back to the point in the story where she had left Mercutio's manor. Gratefully she fell back on the bed, asleep.  
  
*****  
  
Morning came, bright and cheerful and completely free of the horrors to come. Stella had made one minor victory, now it was time for another. She phased into the Friar's cell. He looked not one bit surprised to see her there. "Good day, Lady Stella," he said simply. "I trust you are in good health?"  
  
Juliet, who was standing a bit to the side, asked, "Do you know this lady, Friar?"  
  
The friar smiled thoughtfully. "Yes, she is a friend to help you."  
  
Stella could have hit herself. Her entire trip to Juliet's house last night had been a royal waste! The man standing next to Juliet stepped up and bowed. Stella recognized him as Romeo. He said, "How dost thee fare, lady from the Capulets' garden?"  
  
Stella turned white instantly. "I... forgive me, my lord, I did not know that you saw me. I did not mean to pry, but the only entrance from my land to yours happened to be there. I know that it sounds farfetched, but..."  
  
The Friar cut in. "Lady Stella, Romeo and Juliet have been married. They request to return for consummation."  
  
This was a bit awkward for Stella. "Already? I thought they wouldn't get married until much later! But, well, um, that sounds good to me," she said. She could tell that nobody understood her modern Xanthian speech.   
  
Romeo smiled and took Juliet on one arm and offered Stella the other. "Let us return, no one should be in the village square at this time of day."  
  
Stella accepted the arm and they began to walk back.  
  
It turned out that Romeo was just a bit wrong. The square was filled with people. Tybalt, Juliet's admirer and basically her fiancée, was in a major swordfight with another man who was...Mercutio. Oh, horror of horrors! If Mercutio died, all of her efforts so far would be in vain. Romeo would not be able to stop himself from fighting Tybalt, and defeating him, and getting exiled, and...no! Just no. She couldn't let that happen. But what could she do? Instantly she phased out of the story into the Good Magician's castle. She could always phase back to that exact moment anyway.   
  
The Good Magician looked up. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a quest to succeed in?"  
  
Stella groaned. "How can I keep Mercutio from dying?"  
  
He stared at her speculatively. "Is that another Question, Stella?"  
  
Stella groaned louder, and said desperately, "Please make an incidental remark about how I can help Mercutio to survive his battle."  
  
Now the Magician looked almost appreciative. "You are much smarter than the average Xanth citizen, Stella. But I will first ask an incidental question. Why is it so necessary that he live? He could die, and then the whole course of events occur, and then in his exile Romeo could come with you and you could phase back to Xanth with him and his sudden love, happily ever after."  
  
Stella stared at him. She had never quite thought of it that way! Indeed she could just leave him, but something inside of her told her not to. Impulsively she spoke, "I can't let him die! I like him!"  
  
"Of course you do. He is a kind, energetic, fun gentleman, and very likeable. But..."  
  
She spoke sadly. "No, I...I really like him."  
  
"As I had suspected." For a moment the Good Magician looked his chronological age, about one hundred seventy years old. "Well, love got them into this mess, and love will get them out. I shall make my incidental remark now: wouldn't it be helpful for you to get Juliet to stop Tybalt before he strikes? Then you could go up to Mercutio and lead him away."  
  
"How could I do that?"  
  
The Magician rolled his eyes. "I am almost out of incidental remarks. However, I shall make one last remark: A kiss from as beautiful a lady as yourself will surely have the desired affect."  
  
Stella nodded. "Thanks, Humfrey." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. He looked very surprised. She smirked a bit and phased back into the story. Romeo and Juliet were standing stock-still, terrified.   
  
"Juliet!" Stella cried. "Stop Tybalt! If either one wins, there is no hope of success!" Juliet broke from Romeo and ran towards Tybalt.   
  
"Cousin," she said solicitously. "Please do not kill him! He is the kinsman of the Prince, and it will surely bring a bad name to our whole house. Thou art too wise to commit such a sin." She broke down into tears.  
  
It is very hard for any man, even a cousin, to see a beautiful woman cry. "Cousin, he..."  
  
She put a restraining arm on him. "No! Tell the Prince of Mercutio's wrongs, and surely he will thank you for sparing his kinsman's life and you will get a handsome reward."  
  
This thought was enough to take away all desire to fight from Tybalt. He sheathed his sword. Juliet took him by the arm back to their manor.  
  
Stella phased in to the story just before Juliet ran to talk to Tybalt. She hoped that herself from a few minutes before would not be too afraid of meeting itself. "Meet me at Mercutio's manor at midnight!" she murmured. Juliet nodded and ran off. Then Stella straightened her skirts and ran to Mercutio.  
  
"Mercutio!" she called. "Why dost thou fight?"  
  
"Lady Stella!" he cried. "I came to thy rooms this morning and thou hadst disappeared! I had come to town to look for you, and then Tybalt and I started fighting, and..."  
  
"Peace, Mercutio. I must bring you away."  
  
"No! I must kill him!" Mercutio started at Tybalt viciously. Juliet and Tybalt were just returning to Capulet manor.  
  
Stella leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet are married. Tonight at midnight they shall come with me back to my homeland, to live together. I...this can not be achieved if you die!"  
  
Mercutio looked stricken. "You know too much of our futures, lovely lady. If it is my destiny to die fighting Tybalt, then die I must. I can not fight Destiny."  
  
He was such a brave and foolish man! As she watched him draw her sword, Stella cried to him, "No! I love you!"  
  
Whereupon Mercutio proceeded to look twice as stricken as before. "I believe you do, Lady Stella. I shall try to come to you in death. I believe that I love you as well, for it is easy to love one as kind and generous and beautiful as yourself. But..."  
  
That did it. Stella threw herself at him and kissed him, hard. She had never kissed anyone before, but it was...transcendent. Feeling effervescent, she backed away and took his hand. "Come with me," she whispered.  
  
Suddenly Mercutio found no reason not to go with her, and every reason just to follow her wherever she went. So he followed back to his very own manor. Romeo followed them at a respectful distance.  
  
*****  
  
That afternoon Stella, Mercutio, and Romeo arrived at the Prince's manor. Mercutio sat down next to Stella and asked, "Lovely star, will thou tell Romeo and myself about your homeland?"  
  
Stella groaned in an unladylike fashion. " I fear that thou will not believe me."  
  
Romeo smiled. "We shall doubtless try our hardest, Lady."  
  
Stella began her tale. "I come from the land of Xanth." She paused. "It is a land where there is...magic. Every person has their own magic talent, and there are magical animals and plants and spells and everything. I promise that this is the truth."  
  
Mercutio raised one eyebrow. "Incredulous though it is, this would explain many questions I had not yet formulated. What be thy talent?"  
  
"I can phase into and out of stories, such as this story. In Xanth it is called 'Romeo and Juliet'. It's... it's a book."  
  
Romeo looked pleased. "There is a book about myself and Juliet?"  
  
"Well, yes, but it's a tragedy."   
  
Romeo no longer looked very pleased.   
  
Mercutio began to comprehend. "So in thy story Romeo and Juliet die. So you... thou hast 'phased into' our story to save them? Wherefore?"  
  
Stella sighed. "In Xanth there is a Good Magician. Magicians are anyone with a talent more potent than practically anyone else. This Magician is the Magician of Information. I went to him with a Question, and I asked what my talent was. He answered, and in return I had to perform a Service for him. This service was to rescue Romeo and Juliet. They are vital to Xanth in some strange way."  
  
The two men pondered this. Suddenly a cloaked figure appeared in the door. "Am I too late?" the figure asked.  
  
Romeo strode up to embrace it. "My love!" he cried. "Now we shall be able to live and love forever in a magical land called Zanth, or such."  
  
Juliet smiled with genuine delight.  
  
"Xanth," corrected Stella, but she was smiling. "Everyone connect hands in a circle." She herself grasped Mercutio's hand instantly, then Juliet's. Juliet's hand closed reflexively on Romeo's and Romeo took Mercutio's other hand gravely. Stella smiled and closed her eyes. She hoped she could carry these good people along when she phased. Especially Mercutio. But of course Romeo and Juliet were the important ones. She concentrated and phased. Suddenly the four friends were back in the Good Magician's castle. She was back in her normal Xanthian clothes. It was too bad.  
  
"What took you so long?" the Good Magician grumped.   
  
Stella merely smiled at him. "I brought Romeo and Juliet back here, Magician. Aren't you proud of me? For a few moments I thought I might have to take them down to No Name Key to get in, but then I realized I could phase back with them. As Professor Grossclout would say, is my head still full of mush?"  
  
"Perhaps it is edifying a bit," the Good Magician admitted. "Still, you weren't supposed to bring Mercutio back for your own happiness."  
  
Mercutio smiled at Stella and she grinned back. "Too bad, Magician," she murmured, and leaned in to kiss Mercutio. The Magician hastily added, "then again, I think that he will be a useful citizen. Please phase to Castle Roogna and bring Romeo and Juliet there. There they will accidentally overhear a plot to kill King Dor, so we will prosper again. Nice work, mushmind."  
  
Stella frowned. "How can I phase into Castle Roogna?"  
  
"The Muse of History is writing this whole story down in a tome, you fool! So you can phase into any place in it!"  
  
"Convenient," Stella murmured. She took Juliet and Mercutio's hands again and phased into Castle Roogna. There she met Princess Ida.   
  
"Princess Ida." she called. I am a girl from the North Village. I have brought Romeo and Juliet here after rescuing them from an untimely demise." Stella knew Princess Ida; the colony of fauns and nymphs where she had grown up was not too far away from Stella's home. They were friends. Stella also knew Ida's talent: the Idea. "I brought them here to, um, to..."  
  
"We're here to save Xanth," said Juliet brightly.   
  
"Oh, I'm sure that you will succeed," said Ida.  
  
"Good." Stella said. "Now you will. Ida, please tell Romeo and Juliet about your talent? I need to bring Mercutio back to my home and introduce him to my parents and things like that."  
  
"Surely," said Ida. Stella smiled at Mercutio and kissed him. Then she phased back to her home. Life would surely be more interesting now than it was two days ago!  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Xanth, the Good Magician, et cetera all belong to Piers Anthony. Mercutio, Romeo, Juliet, etc. all belong to William Shakespeare, if he even kept up his copyrights. Stella, her talent, and that stuff all belong to me.  
Please, please, be a good reader and review. If you liked my story, tell me. If you hated it, tell me. If you have any ideas, tell me. JUST REVIEW DAMMIT! Thank you.  
  
Stella  



End file.
